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Rare Earth Minerals' 333pc rise after name change puts Aim under fresh scrutiny
What's in a name? About 10m, according to investors in Aim-listed Rare Earth Minerals Plc, whose share price rose 66pc yesterday.

Rare Earth Minerals' new website can still be found at www.zestmusic.com By Rowena Mason, Energy Correspondent 6:00AM GMT 31 Dec 2010
18 Comments
The company, which does not yet own any rare earth minerals or licences to mine them, was a loss-making music business called Zest until eight days ago.

It has not revealed how it plans to acquire any of the minerals on which China has a near monopoly. Nor has it disclosed the countries where it is targeting acquisitions with just 630,000 of cash in the bank.

However, since it proposed the name change on November 12, its share price has more than quadrupled from 0.35p, valuing it at 3.1m, to 1.52p, valuing it at 13.5m.

The rise is likely to raise further questions about the London Stock Exchange's governance of the AIM market - three years on since Roel Campos, an SEC commissioner, described the junior market as a "like a casino".

It has been under renewed scrutiny since Desire Petroleum's wild share spikes earlier this month. A spokesman for AIM declined to comment on whether the regulatory team is looking into Rare Earth Minerals

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One broker said: "It is penny stock madness, a herd mentality, though I'm not sure what they're trying to cash in on. It is just like a type of dotcom boom situation."

At the height of the dotcom boom, a string of cash shells - companies with a stock market quote but no actual business - listed on AIM. The value collapsed when the bubble burst, prompting the LSE to change its rules.

TD Waterhouse, the retail broker, said Rare Earth Minerals was its most traded stock yesterday, with the most buy orders and fourth most sell orders. "It's the first time I've ever seen it appear in the top ten," a spokesman said.

More than 143m shares changed hands, despite no new publicly available information.

The only announcement the company has made recently has been the award of 98m share options to "directors, staff , consultants and advisors" at 0.5p, redeemable in ten years.

The company's shares also rose sharply in January, when it appointed David Lenigas, a veteran of the world of penny stocks, as a non-executive. He is one of only two board members at Rare Earth Minerals and disclosed he was a director of 94 other companies including Solo Oil, Vatulouka Gold Mines and LonZim.

Last year, a study by Manchester Business School found AIM companies were no more likely to fail than those on other markets. However, they had more chance of survival if older, bigger, had a greater free float and a reputable nominated advisor.

Rare Earth Minerals was unavailable for comment.

Fallen every day for a week.

Update on Magdalena Borate Project

Rare Earth Minerals (AIM: REM) is pleased to announce Bacanora Minerals Ltd ("Bacanora"), a company that REM has a 11.3% shareholding, have announced that is advancing the Magdalena Borate Project toward the feasibility of boric acid production.

The full news release from Bacanora, dated 14 October 2014, is shown below.

Kiran Morzaria, the Company's Chief Executive Officer commented:

"We are very pleased with the progress being made on the Magdalena Borate Project. In January 2013, Bacanora reported a net present value on this asset of US$113 million. The continued advancement of this project provides accretive value to the REM shareholding in Bacanora, and we look forward to hearing and reporting on the progress being made on this asset"

Tipped in the Daily Mail today.

Torygraph's got it as well.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/11171067/Oil-find-expected-in-Britains-Dallas.html

Topped in DM and Telegraph great for Monday.

Hatch appointed for the Sonora Lithium Project - Mexico

Rare Earth Minerals (AIM: REM) is pleased to advise that global specialists Hatch Pty Ltd ("Hatch") have been appointed as engineering consultants to the Sonora Lithium Project ("Project"), to advance the Project towards commercialisation and to assist with the design of a lithium compound plant of up to 50,000 tonne per annum and associated mining operation from the Projects' defined indicated mineral resource of 3.26 million tonnes of LCE ("Lithium Carbonate Equivalent").

Hatch have been appointed, due to their recent engineering, procurement and construction management ("EPCM") contract for the Jiangsu plant in China; a 17,000 tonnes per annum of battery-grade lithium carbonate plant, which once at full capacity will make it the largest producer in the Asia-Pacific region and the fourth-largest in the world. Hatch moved this project from a concept design to a completed facility in less than three years.

Hatch supplies engineering, project and construction management services, process and business consulting and operational services to the mining, metallurgical, energy and infrastructure industries. Hatch has project experience in more than 150 countries around the world, with over 11,000 people in over 65 offices and has more than $35 billion in projects currently under management.

REM has an 11.29% shareholding in Bacanora the Company's joint venture partners in Mexico. This interest, when aggregated with REM's 30% direct interest in the Fleur - El Sauz Lithium Joint Venture and the 30% direct interest in the Megalit Joint Venture, results in a total economic interest in each of these joint ventures of approximately 38%.

New battery is ‘killer app’ for electric cars

Drilling Re-Commences at the Sonora Lithium Project

Rare Earth Minerals (AIM: REM) is pleased to announce that a significant drilling programme will shortly commence on the Sonora Lithium Project in Mexico (the "Sonora Project"). This programme represents a five-fold increase in drilling on the project compared to the last stage of drilling undertaken.

The purpose of this new drilling programme is to add further lithium resources to the already defined indicated lithium mineral resource of 3.28 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent ("LCE") on the Sonora Project, and upgrade certain sections of the indicated resource to the higher measured resource category which will underpin the mine design and in particular the open pit mine plan and future production scheduling.

The full news release from Bacanora, REM's Joint Venture partner at the Sonora Lithium Project, dated 3 November 2014, is available at Bacanora's website http://www.bacanoraminerals.com.

Yangibana Update.

Further high-grade REE results from Yangibana

Rare Earth Minerals (AIM: REM) advises that Hastings Rare Metals Limited ("Hastings"), REM's 70% joint venture partner in the Yangibana Rare Earth Element Project ("Yangibana") in Western Australia, have announced the latest assay results for rare earth elements ("REE") from recent Yangibana Stage 2 drill programme.

The full Hastings news release date 10 November 2014 (including maps) is available at:

http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20141110/pdf/42tll4zzlnyyv0.pdf

Highlights (from Hastings News Release):

· Stage 2 drilling programme comprising 122 Reverse Circulation ("RC") drill holes totalling 6,500m have been drilled and 9 diamond drill holes totalling 170.1m has been completed at Yangibana.
· Hastings has drilled 7 Prospects at Yangibana, including the Yangibana North, Lion's Ear, Hook, Gossan, Kane's Gossan Prospects in which REM holds a 30% interest.
· Highly encouraging neodymium-rich rare earths returned from each project.
· JORC resource estimate being undertaken on each of these prospects will add to the current JORC complaint resource previously announced at Yangibana North.
· Scoping Study being prepared by renowned independent mining consultant, Snowden

Update - Yangibana Rare Earths Element Project

Statement re: Press Speculation


REM notes the speculation in today's press regarding an update on its lithium operations in Mexico. The Company expects to provide an update on its operations in due course.



-END-

Top mover today.

Scoping Study

US$2 Billion NPV Valuation of El Sauz and Fleur Lithium Project, Mexico.

Rare Earth Minerals Plc (London AIM: REM) is pleased to announce the results of its Scoping Study ("Scoping Study") on the El Sauz and Fleur Lithium Project in northern Mexico, in which it has an economic interest of 38.4%. As a result of the Scoping Study which is summarized below, the Board of REM believe the El Sauz and Fleur lithium project has the identified potential to be one of the world's largest Lithium Carbonate ("LCE") producers, capable of producing up to an average of 75,600 tonnes LCE per annum which is equivalent to approximately 45% of the estimated global production in 2012 (note 1).

HIGHLIGHTS

· Pre-tax net present value ("NPV") of US$2,023 million based on a discount rate of 8% and a Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) price of US$6,500 per tonne.
· Average total cash cost of US$2,525 per tonne of LCE over life of mine, with an average operational cash flow of US$233 million per year.
· The NPV is achieved with a constrained optimised pit shell of an average of 69,800 tonnes of lithium carbonate per annum over an initial 20-year mine life, with an average of 75,600 tonnes of lithium carbonate per annum between years 2-19.
· Mined from a single open pit, 2.75 km long, 1.4 km wide and 400 metres deep containing 1.39 million tonnes of lithium carbonate (recoverable).
· Plant and infrastructure capital cost of US$422 million for a plant with a rated maximum capacity of 11.7 million tonne per annum ("Mtpa").
· Payback period of 3.3 years, after taxes and royalties.

Rare Earth Minerals - US$2 Billion NPV Valuation of El Sauz and Fleur Lithium Project, Mexico

Click hre

Western Lithium Ships First Organoclay Order

Sonora Lithium Project expanded

Sonora Lithium Project expanded with new drilling discovery.

Rare Earth Minerals Plc (London AIM: REM) is pleased to announce the results of the successful drilling campaign on the southern 3 km of an estimated 6 km strike extent of lithium bearing clays on the Buenavista Project ("Buenavista"). The exploration programme targeted a new and previously untested deposit type in the Sonora Lithium Project, which is thought to be of fluvial origin and eroded from a primary lithium source, as opposed to the types of deposits previously drilled at the Sonora Lithium Project in northern Mexico. The results confirm significant thicknesses of lithium bearing clays, very close to surface, at greater than 1,000 ppm Lithium values.

David Lenigas, the Company's Chairman, commented:

"These drilling results from Buenavista are highly encouraging, especially given the geological simplicity of the deposit and the minimal overburden which overlies the lithium, both of which would serve to reduce the potential mining costs of such a deposit. Moreover the results prove that there are other continuous lithium deposits within the Sonora Lithium Project, which will add to the already substantial Indicated Lithium Resources of 3.28 million tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent ("LCE") already defined at La Ventana, Fleur and El Sauz."

Highlights of Drill Results

· 24 reverse circulation holes tested approximately half of the 6 km strike length of the lithium-bearing clays exposed at Buenavista.
· The lithium-bearing clays outcrop at surface and dip gently to the east, providing a target for potential open pit mining with a minimal strip ratio.
· Significant lithium values (i.e. greater than 1,000 ppm Li) were found in 13 of the 24 holes.
· Of those 13 holes, 11 reported significant thicknesses and grades of lithium-bearing clays, as tabulated below in Table 1.
· Lithium values of individual 1.0 metre samples, within the significant intervals, range from 336 to 2,210 ppm Li.

more....

Full Scoping Study - Mexico Lithium Project & Updated Company Presentation

Rare Earth Minerals (AIM: REM) today advises that The Company's latest presentation has been posted to its website.

The Company has also posted to its website a copy of the full Scoping Study ("Study") completed last year. The material aspects of the Study were announced on the 22 December 2014.

Both of the above documents are available at the Company's website www.rareearthmineralsplc.com.

- Ends -

Will there be a early rights issue

REM increases strategic holding in Bacanora Minerals to 14.37%

Rare Earth Minerals (AIM: REM) announces that it has now increased its shareholding in Bacanora Minerals Limited ("Bacanora"), from 13.30% to 14.37% through further market purchases totaling £547,860.

This interest, when aggregated with REM's 30% direct interest in Megalit S.A de CV (the company holding the Buenavista, Megalit and San Gabriel concessions) and the 30% direct interest in Mexalit S.A de CV (the company holding El Sauz, El Sauz 1, El Sauz 2, Fleur and Fleur 1 concessions), results in a total economic interest in each of these companies of 40.06%.

David Lenigas, The Company's Chairman, commented:

"REM believes that 2015 will represent a pivotal year for Bacanora. The work being carried out on the Sonora Lithium project will, we believe, cement this project as globally significant and one that could service a large proportion of the rapidly increasing lithium market. Given the importance of the deposit and as part of our strategy to increase our exposure to the Sonora Lithium Project we have continued to purchase additional shares in Bacanora.


- Ends -

Western Lithium Produces First High Purity Lithium

Highlights from the Western Lithium news release are set out below:

· 99.8% high quality lithium carbonate produced in first trail run of Western Lithium's demonstration plant in Germany.

· Western Lithium expects to produce several tons of lithium products in 2015 to verify equipment selection and to provide production run samples for potential off-take sales.

· Permitting and engineering work is planned to accelerate in 2015 based on current discussions with several strategic partners that have indicated interest to partner with the Company.

· Lithium hydroxide studies have been advanced to finalise the design of Western Lithium's lithium hydroxide circuit for production. The Company expects to test its lithium hydroxide circuit in pilot tests in 2015.

· Western Lithium has previously tested its high purity lithium product in battery tests with a leading lithium-ion battery laboratory in the the United States, that demonstrated satisfactory performance in cycle testing of lithium-ion battery cells